Tuesday, 2 October 2012

Trip to A&E

This morning I woke up with a pain in my stomach. A pain I've had before. Sometimes it lasts for days, sometimes for weeks. Last time I had the pain I went to A&E because I was worried I had appendicitis. I didn't.So today I went to work. I phoned the duty doctor. The duty doctor predictably couldn't do much over the phone. He told me to go to A&E after work to make sure that it wasn't appendicitis "just because it wasn't last time, doesn't mean it isn't this time".So I went to A&E. First you see the triage doctor. Blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen, temperature. Go and wait some more. Of course they wanted a urine sample, of course my shy bladder went into hiding. I drunk a bottle of water, and just to annoy my bladder a can of fizzy caffeine drink (two things that annoy your bladder). Still no luck.Next seen by another doctor. Blood pressure, temperature - list of medications. Then onto the couch for a physical exam. Lots of poking and prodding. Is this tender, is this tender. Most of it not tender... actual pain. Ouch.The outcome is that I don't (really probably) have appendicitis. No fever, no raised pulse, no vomiting, etc. If they sent me to Obs (whatever that is) they'd just send me away again. Sent home with no more info than when I started, jolly good.Home now and had microwave dinner (and half the vending machine chocolate bar). Now settled in with good TV whilst the better half is out at football.